De witt b



(No Model.)

DE WITT B. WILLIAMS.

GAR.

Patented Mar. 1, 1892.

WITNESSES fia A TTOHN E YS 1n; mums MYERS 20.. mowmwm. wAsnmGTsm n4 1:.

i ATENT OFFICE.

DE lVITT B. WVILLIAMS, OF PRESCOTT, ARIZONA.

CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 470,089, dated March 1, 1892.

Application filed October 21, 1891'- Serial No. 409,364. (No model.)

To all whmn it may'conoernfl Be it known that 1, DE WITT B. WILLIAMS, of Prescott, in the county of Yavapai and Territory of Arizona, have invented a new and Improved Car, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. 7

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved railroad-car adapted to be readily transformed from a box-ear to an open car, and vice versa, and if used as a boxcar be readily opened atanypart to unload some of the contents without disturbing the rest.

The invention consists of a platform carryingcorner-posts connected at their upper ends by a band, and a series of side doors hung on the said band and adapted to be fastened at their lower ends to the side of the platform.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, which will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointedout in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying; drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvement arranged as a box-car, and Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

The improved railroad-car is provided with a platform A, mounted in the usual manner on wheels and carrying in its four corners posts B, connected with each other at their upper ends by a rectangular band C, preferably made of metal of suitable thickness to support a roof D, formed with a flange D, engaging the inner side of the band 0, thus preventing leakage and at the same time forming means for holding the roof in place.

On thetop of the roof on the usual runningboard are secured a series of eyes or hooks E, adapted to be engaged by the chains of the derrick or other hoisting apparatus forlifting off the roof D or placing it on the band, for the purpose hereinafter more fully described.

The ends of the car are preferably made solid with a suitable boarding, while the sides of the car are formed by a series of doors F, preferably overlapping one another, as is plainly shown in Fig. 1, so as to form a tight bind on adjacent doors.

The upper end of each door F is formed with an L-shaped flange F, engaging a slot 0', formed longitudinally in the respective side of the band C, the saidslot permitting the door to hang in a vertical position, as is plainly shown in Fig. 1, and to the left in Fig. 2, and the slot also permits of sliding the door into a horizontal position, as shown to the right in Fig. 2, the door then being supported in the upper part of the car on suitable longitudinally-extending rods G, held in sockets or other means in the ends of the car. The lower end of each door F is formed with an outwardly-projecting flange F and the lower end is adapted to be engaged locking-bar H, connected at one end by a link I to the respective corner-post B, the other end of the locking-bar being fastened in place to a middle post B by a padlock J or other locking device. Instead of using the middle by a l'ongitudinally-extending post B, the bar H may extend from one end of the car to the other, the padlock then being applied on the free end of the bar on the corner-post. Owing to the considerable length of the cars as nowconstructed, it is preferred to employ a middle post B to conveniently and strongly support the band O and to shorten the locking-bars H.

When it is desired to use the car as a boxcar, the several parts are in position, as shown in he drawings. When the locking-bars H are unlocked, any of the doors F can be opened by swinging the door first'outward into nearly a horizontal position 'and then shifting it transversely, so that the door slides over the longitudinally-extendingl rods G to support the door in an uppermost position inside of the car. Thus any part of the car can be readily loaded or unloaded without disturbing the rest of the car or the contents loaded therein. If desired, the entire top or roof D can be removed byasuitable hoisting device, so that long articles can be conveniently placed in the car from above through the open top. The rods G are held removably in the sockets in the ends of the car, so as to be readily taken out when the car is to be changed to a platform or open car. To change the car to a platform or open car, the top is first removed, then the doors are taken off the band C, then the corner-posts may be removed with the band, if desired. Ordinarily the cornerposts, as well as the band C, may remain on the car.

Having thus described my invention, I 5 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A car comprising a platform, corner-posts erected on the said platform, a band connected with the corner-posts, and a series of side doors hung on the said band and adapted to be fastened at their lower ends to the side of the platform, substantially as described.

2. A car com prisingaplatform, corner-posts erected on the said platform, aband connected with the corner-posts, a series of side doors hung on the said band and adapted to be fastened at their lower ends to the side of the platform, and means, substantially as described, for fastening the lower ends of the doors in place on the platform, as set forth.

3. A car provided with a band supported on corner-posts and a roof supported on the said band and bodily removable from the car, whereby it is adapted to be lifted off, substantially as described.

4. A car provided with a band supported on corner-posts, a roof supported on the said band and adapted tobe lifted off, and a flange formed on the under side of the said roof, engaging the said band, substantially as described.

5. A car provided with a band supported on corner-posts, a roof supported on the said band and adapted to be lifted 0d, and hooks or eyes for hoisting the said roof, substantially as described.

6. In a car, the combination, with a band supported on corner-posts and formed with longitudinal slots, of a series of doors formed at their upper ends with flanges engaging the said longitudinal slots, substantially as described.

7. In a car, the combination, with a band supported on corner-posts and formed with longitudinal slots, of a series of doors formed at their upper ends with flanges engaging the said longitudinal slots and longitudinal rods arranged in the upper part of the car and adapted to support the said doors, substantially as described.

8. In a car, the combination, with a band supported on corner-posts and formed with longitudinal slots, of a series of doors formed at their upper ends With flanges engaging the said longitudinal slots and a locking device for fastening the lower ends of the said doors in place, substantially as described.

.DE WITT l). WILLIAMS. Witnesses:

H. A. VAN 'lAssELL, CLARENCE ll. LEE. 

